Watch-case



' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. E. C. PITCH.

WATCH GASE- (No Model.)

Patented Apr. 28, 1885.

lNVENTDFi WITNESSES Mf /may 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

B. 0-. FITCH.

WATCH CASE.

No. 316,767. Patented Apr. 28, 1885.

INVENTUF hw WITNEEEEE UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EZRA c. FITCH, OF NEWTON, MAssAoHUsE'rTs.

WATCH-OAS E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 316,767, dated April28, 1885.

Application filed September 29, 1834.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EZRA O. Frrcrr, of Newton, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Imp rovements in WVatch-Cases, of which the following is a specification.

'This invention consists in the hereinafter-described improvements,whereby the strength and stiffness of a watoh-case, particularly at theback, are increased and secure proteotion for the watch-movement isafforded.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 represents a view of the front or face of a watch-case havingmy improvement, the case center and back being made in a single seamlesspiece. Fig. 2 represents a section on line or .r, Fig. 1. Fig. 3represents an enlarged sectional view of the cap, which is screwed intothe case-center and re-enforces the back thereof. Fig. 4 represents anedge view of said cap, showing amovement-holding ring hinged to it.Figs. 5 and 6 represent, respectively, a front and an edge View of aseamless case center and back. Fig. 7 represents a front view of thebezel; and Fig. 8 represents a section on line 3 y, Fig. 7. Figs. '9 and11 represent side views of cases provided with modifications of myinvention, the case center and back being made in separate pieces. Figs.and 12 represent, respectively, sections on lines 2 .2, Fig. 9, and c:4, Fig. 11.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all thefigures.

Referring to Sheet 1, Figs. 1 to 8 of the drawings, a represents thecase-center, and a the back, the two being formed in a single seamlesspiece. The front side of the casecenter is provided with aninwardly-projecting shoulder, I), which is provided with a screw-threadin its inner edge, its outer side constituting a seat for the bezel c.

d represents a cap, which is formed to enter the case-center and closelyfit the contour of the inner surface of the back. Said cap has anexternally-screw-threaded shoulder, cl, which is adapted to be screwedinto the i nternally-threaded shoulder b of the case-center, thethreaded shoulder d of the cap being of greater width than the threadedshoul- (N'o model.)

der of the casecenter, so that the former when screwed to place willproject outside of the latter and present a threaded surface to whichthe bezel 0 may be screwed, as shown in Fig. 2, the bezel beinginternally threaded at c,- or, if preferred, the bezel may have asnapedge, the cap (I having a shoulder adapted to engage said edge. The.cap is provided with an internal shoulder, (1?, which constitutes a seatfor a 1novement-holding ring, 0. I prefer to connect the ring 6 to thecap by a hinge, f, as shown in Fig. 4:, so that the ring may swingoutwardly from the case, as in my Patent No. 224,670, dated February 17,1880. The cap has an orifice at g for the passage of the winding andhand-setting arbor. It will be seen that the cap (I, fitting the backclosely and being securely connected to the case-center byscrew-threads, re-enforces and stiffens the back. The projection of thecap outside of the case-center enables it to engage and hold the bezel,a close joint be ing formed by the contact of the bezel with the flatseat on the case-center and the engagement of the threaded portion ofthe bezel with the projecting threaded portion of the cap. The cap maybe of a baser metal and have greater rigidity than the back, thusimparting a marked degree of stiffness thereto.

The threaded shoulder d on the cap may be made integral with the body ofthe cap, as shown in Fig. 2, or in a separate piece or ring, 2, as shownin Fig. 3, said piece being preferably formed to snap onto the edge ofthe cap and remain in place without a positive fastening. The internaldiameter of the ring 2 is greater than that of the edge of the cap, theshoulder (1 being the result of this difference in the diameters of saidparts.

In Sheet 2, Figs. 9 to 12, I have shown the case center and back madeseparately, the back being screwed to the center in the cou structionshown in Figs. 9 and 10,,and connected by a snap-edge to the center inthe construction shown in Figs. 11 and 12. In this modification the cap(I is connected only with the back a instead of to the case-center, asin the construction previously described. The connection may be effectedby screw-threads formed in the back and on the margin of the cap, asshown in the drawings, or by riveting, soldering, or otherwisepermanently at taohing said parts.

The entire outer surface of the cap bears closely against the innersurface of the baclgthe margin being extended outwardly nearly to themargin of the back. When the back is removed, the cap is necessarilyremoved with it, so that when the parts of the case are separ0 rated thenumber of detached pieces is less than when the cap and back areseparable.

It is obvious that the cap constructed as shown in this modification maybe applied to the covers of hunting-case watches.

I claim 1. A watch-case having an internal cap formed to bear againstthe inner surface of the back or cover of the case, as set forth.

2. In awatch-case composed of a center and back made in a single piece,an internal cap secured to the case-center and bearing against the innersurface of the back, as set forth.

3. In a watch-case composed of a center and back made in asingle piece,an internal cap secured to the case-center and projecting outside of thesame, and a bezel formed to be applied to the projecting portion of thecap, as set forth.

4. In a watchcase composed of a center and back made in a single piece,an internal cap secured to the case-center, and a movement-holding ringfitted to the interior of said cap, as set forth.

5. In awatch-case composed of a center and back formed in a singlepiece, an internal cap secured to the case-center and projecting outsideof the same, a movementholding ring fitting the interior of the cap, anda bezel formed to be applied to the projecting edge of the cap, as setforth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 11th day of September, 188i.

EZRA G. FlTCH.

.Vitnesses:

E. A. Mnnsn, D. H. CHURCH.

